Machine for working or dressing textile fibers.



PATENTED SEPT. 10, 1907. I A. MELLOR & J. VILLY. MACHINE FOR WORKING ORDRESSING TEXTILE FIBERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28. 1905.

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No. 865,512. PATENTED SEPT. 10, 1907-; A. MELLOR & JJVILLY,

MACHINE FOR WORKINGOR DRESSING TEXTILE FIBERS. APPLICATION mum JUNE28,1905.

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No. 865,512. PATEN-TED SEPT. 10, 1907. A. MELLOR & J. VILLY. MACHINE FORWORKING 0R DRESSING TEXTILE FIBERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28.1905.

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No. 865,512. PATENTED SEPT. '10, 1907. A. MELLOR & J. VILLY.

MACHINE FOR WORKING 0R DRESSING TEXTILE FIBERS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE28.1905.

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No. 865,512. PATENTED'SEPT. 10,1907. A. MELLOR & J. VILLY. MACHINE FO'RWORKING OR'DRESSING TBXTILBFIBBRS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28,1905.

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No. 865,512. PATENTED SEPT; 10, 1907-. A. MELLOR & J. VILLY. MACHINE FORWORKING 0R DRESSING TEXTILE. FIBERS.

-APPLICATION TILED JUNE 28.1906,

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No. 865,512. PATBNTED SEPT. 10, 1907. A. MELLOR-(Kz J. VILL-Y.

MACHINE FOR WORKING OR DRESSING TEXTILE FIBERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28.1905.

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No. 865,512. 7 PATENTED SEPT. 10, 1907. A. MELLOR & J. VILLY. MACHINEFOR WORKING 0R DRESSING TEXTILE .FIBRRs.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28.1905.

10 SHEETS-SHEET a.

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No. 865,512. Q PATENTED SEPT. 10, 1907.

A. MELLOR & J. VILLY. MACHINE FOR WORKING R DRESSING TEXTILE. FIBERS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 28,1905.

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No. 865,512. PATENTED SEPT. 10,1907. A. MELLOR & J. VILLY. MAGHINE'PORWORKING 0R DRESSING TEXTILE FIBERS.

APPLICATION FILED mm 28.1905.

1o SHEETS-SHEET 1o.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR MELLOR, OF MAOOLESFIELD, ENGLAND, AND JEAN VILLY, OF AMPLEPU IS,FRANCE.

MACHINE FOR WORKING OR DRESSING TEXTILE FIBERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 10, 1 907.

Application filed 911118 28, 1905. Serial No. 267.391.

To all whom it may concern:

to it known that we, ARTHUR MELLOR, a subject of King Edward VII ofGreat Britain, residing at Macclesfield, in the county of Cheshire,England, and JEAN VILLY, a citizen of the Republic of France, residingat Amplepuis, Rhone, France, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Working or Dressing Textile Fibers,Especially Silk and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for working, hackling or dressingtextile fibers, and particularly to machines for dressing silk and likefibers.

At the present time, the dressing of silk is chiefly carried out in oneor other of two machines working on different principles, one beingknown as the flat frame, and the other as the circular frame, and theobject of our present improvements is to obtain the advantages of thetwo said principles or systems in one machine and to avoid theirprincipal defects, and

further to increase considerably the rate of production of dressed silkby a convenient organization of working The chief advantages obtainingin the use of the flat frame are, a large combing surface, and a veryslow combing speed, which saves the fiber and therefore gives a goodyield in draft. The flat frame is, however, defective in that, the combsbeing arranged above the tufts to be dressed, the chrysalides and otherdusts or foreign matters on or in the silk cannot be taken away by thecombs and the dressed silk therefore contains a considerable percentageof dust. For this reason flat dressing is more suitable for waste,containing very few chrysalides. The dressed silk has also a tendency tofit close to the book boards and the combs cannot very well passthrough, the silk rendering it difficult to get drafts without smallcurls therein, and to regulate the machine; the combs being liable toscrape against and injure themselves and the boards. The combs also getfilled with short fibers of silk, which have to be removed by hand,hindering or-delaying the combing process and causing friction by thecontact of silk with silk which becomes hot and causes the fiberundergoing the combing process to break, thus spoiling the yield.Further, the flat machine giving only a comparatively small production,the cost of dressing is very expensive. The advantages of circulardressing are; a greater production than in the flat frame, and theproduction of a cleaner draft, by reason of the combs acting ondepending tufts of silk which pass more easily through the combs. Thedisadvantages or defects of the circular system of dressing are, thesmall combing surface presented by the tangent of two cylinders, whichnecessitates the running of the combing cylinder or cylinders at a highspeed to get the silk sufficiently cleaned, the silk becoming hot and alarge proportion of the fibers broken, which spoils the yield; also thecombing cylinders get full of combings and shorts thus rendering thecircular system in this respect equally as objectionable as the flatframe.

The object of our invention'is to obtain the advantages of the twomachines or said systems of dressing and avoid the principal defects ofboth machines.

Our invention consists in providing means to work on the principle ofslow combing with a large combing surface, as in the fiat frame, and tohave the silk above the combs so that the depending tufts have atendency to pass easily into the teeth of the combs and be cleaned ofthe chrysalides or dust, as in the circular frame; the combs beingconstantly cleaned to remove the combings and shorts and therefore avoidthe heating of the fibers.

According to our improvements we get a maximum yield and continuousdressing of the fibers without loss of time; the system of workingenabling the attendants to perform the same kind of work over and overagain, some constantly securing the silk in the frames and others beingengaged in reversing the tufts to comb the opposite ends, whereby theduties are specialized and constant, and a production is obtained whichis impossible in the ordinary flat or circular dressing machines.

The various novel features of our invention will be fully hereinafterdescribed and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 shows, in side elevation, thegeneral arrangement and construction of a machine for working ordressing silk or like textile fibers, embodying our improvements. Fig. 2is a plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross sectionof the machine, on a larger scale, taken on the plane indicated by theline a, a, Fig. 1, and looking in the direction of the arrows. Figs. 4and 5 are details showing, respectively, in plan and cross section, aportion of one of the comb bars and one of the chairs in which the endsof the comb-supporting bars are mounted. Fig. 6 is a plan view of one ofthe carriages in which the book boards are traversed through themachine. Fig. '7 is a side elevation of Fig. 6 showing the carriage asit travels through the machine. Fig. 8 is a similar side elevation, butshows the carriage turned over, and opened to permit of the book-boardsbeing removed for insertion, turning, or removal of tufts of fiber; thebook-boards being omitted in this figure. Fig. 9 is a sectional planview of a portion of the machine showing the arrangement of thestrippers. Fig. 1.0 is a side elevation of the stripper arrangement andalso shows the brush by which the combings are re moved from the forwardcomb and transferred to the operative stripper; the drawing-off rollersbeing omitted from this view in order that the arrangement andconstruction of the strippers may be more clearly illustrated. Fig. 11is a skeleton plan of two machines with turn tables and turnoverapparatus at the ends thereof, and Figs. 12 and 13 are side elevationslooking in the direction of the arrows j, in Fig. 11, of the turn-overapparatus at the front and rear ends, respectively, of the machine. Fig.14 is a detail and Fig. 15 a sectional View of the means for supportingthe comb-carrying bars. Fig. 16 is a diagrammatic view showing therelative positions of the machine proper and the devices for handlingthe carriages. Fig. 17 is another view of the carriage shown in Figs. 6,7 and 8 with the parts in a different position. Fig. 13 is adiagrammatic view of a modified arrangement of the means for cleaningthe combs. Fig. 19 is an elevation of one of the bogies hereinafterdescribed.

Referringfirstly to Figs. 1 and 2, in which the general arrangement andconstruction of the machine are shown, 1 represents the carriages inwhich the tufts of fibers are traversed through the machine by means ofworms 2 carried by a longitudinal. shaft 3 supported in bearings in thecross brackets 4 from the side frames 4 of the machine. The shaft 3 isdriven through the bevel gears 5, cross-shaft 6, gears 7 and chain 8from the driven shaft 9 on which are the fast and loose pulleys 10 and11. The carriages l are provided with racks 1 with which the worms 2engage, and with wheels or pulleys 12 which run on longitudinal rails 4formed on or attached to the side frames 4. In the drawings twocarriages only are shown, but in actual working the carriages followclose upon one another to avoid loss of time. The tufts of fiber arenipped between bookboards 13 held in the carriages 1, as will behereinafter more particularly set forth. The tufts of fiber, as will beseen from the drawings, depend from between the book boards 13 insteadof projecting above the said boards, as is usual in the presentconstruction of flat dressing machines.

The combing is performed by transverse comb bars 14 carried by the twoseries or sets of endless chains 15 and 16 arranged one behind the otherlongitudinally of the machine. The chain wheels 15, 15 and 16, 16,around which the comb-carrying chains15 and 16 re spectively pass, andby which they are traversed, are adjustably mounted in brackets 15. Thecomb-carrying chains 15 and 1G, inclined, by suitable adjustments in thebrackets 15, that the teeth of the combs thereon, as they approach theend of their traverse, are brought gradually nearer to the roots of thedepending tufts of fibers so as to render the combing action gradual.The comb-carrying chain 15 travels in the same direction as thecarriages 1, that is to say, in the direction indicated by the arrows inFig. 1, but at a quicker rate than said carriages. The teeth of thecombs 14 are thus drawn through the depending tufts of fibers and dressthem from one side thereof. After being operated upon by the combs onthe chain 15, the depending tufts of fiber are traversed by thecontinuously rotating worms 2 over the comb-carrying chain 16 whichtravels in the contrary direction to the comb-carrying chain 15, andcombs or dresses the opposite side of the depending tufts. Thecomb-carrying chain-15 is driven from the shaft 9 by the gears 17, andthe comb-carrying chain 16 is driven by the chain 18 passing around thechain pulley 19 fast on the same shaft as the chain wheel 15 and aroundthe adjustably mounted chain wheel 20, a gear 21 on the axis of saidchain wheel 20 communicating motion to said chain wheel 16. The speed atwhich the respective comb carrying chains travel may be changedindependently as desired to give such speeds relative to the speed atwhich the tufts are traversed as may be found to produce the bestresults. The comb bars 14 carrying the combs 14 are secured tosupporting bars 23, the upper faces of which are inclined (see Fig. 5)which causes the teeth of the combs to occupy such a position that theteeth in each comb engage the tufts gradually, that is, the front orforemost teeth in each comb only come into contact with the points ordressed portion of the tufts, while the rear teeth penetrate more nearlyto the roots or undressed portions of the tufts. The gradual working ordressing of the fibers obtained by this arrangement and by thepreviously mentioned inclined position of the comb-carrying chainsenables the tufts to be dressed thoroughly with a minimum production ofshorts or broken fibers, due to harsh treatment thereof. As a furtherprotection against tearing or breaking the fibers or damaging the teethof the combs, each comb-bar is arranged to yield or rock in case anabnormally matted or hard tuft of fiber is presented thereto. To securethis result the ends of the comb-supporting bars 23, which are attachedto the chain links by plates 24, and to which plates they are secured bybolts 24, are supported in chairs 25. These chairs are provided withbowls or wheels 26 which run on guide rails 27, and with wood frictionblocks 28 which work against guide rails 29. The rails 27 and 29 arecarried by vertically adjustable brackets 30 which can be adjusted toinsure the teeth of the combs traveling in the desired inclined path,such adjustment of said brackets being in conformity to the adjustmentsof the chain wheels 15, 15 16, 16, so that the chains 15 and 16 will runat the angles at which the rails 27 and 29 are inclined. Thecomb-supporting bars 23 are secured to the chairs 25 by spring bolts 31passing through the bars 23 and plates 24 and through the top plates 25of the chairs. When a comb meets with an abnormally matted portion offiber through which the teeth of the comb cannot pass, the comb-bar 14is permitted by the springs on the bolts 31 to rock over or yielddownwardly a sufficient distance to allow the teeth of the comb to passclear of the obstruction. After the obstruction is passed the springsencircling the bolts 31 return the comb bar to its normal position.

The front and rear ends of the carriages 1 are provided with cross barsor movable end pieces 32 and 32 which are coupled or attached at eachside to levers 33 and 33 pivoted eccentrically on side plates 34 fast onthe cross shaft or bar 35 extending across the carriage so that the sideplates 34 at each side of the carriage move in unison.

To one of the side plates 34 or to the shaft or bar 35 is secured a handlever 36, by moving which, the said plates 34 are partially rotated and,by reason of the pivot connections of the levers 33 and 33 being onopposite sides of the axis 35, the end pieces 32 and 32 are (as will beclearly understood from Figs. 6 and 7) drawn inwardly or forcedoutwardly, as the case may be. The end pieces 32 and 32 slide on guides37 formed or provided on the inner sides of the side frames 37 of thecarriage, and the end piece 32, or both end pieces if desired, is or areprovided with spring connections 32 between same and the connectinglevers. The hand lever 36 carries a lever 33 to which is jointed a rod38 having a projection 38 and connected with a retracting spring 38 saidprojection being adapted, when the carriage is closed, as shown in Fig.7, to engage in a notch 39 (see Fig. 8) and thus retain said hand-lever36 in locking position. To prevent the handle 36, when the carriage orframe is being opened, from flying up suddenly when the catch projection38 is released, the inner end of said lever 36 is provided with a camsurface 36 against which bears a spring plunger 40 carried in a bracket41 secured to the frame 37 of the carriage.

In Fig. 7 the carriage or frame is shown with the bookboards 13 securedbetween the end pieces 32 and 32, this being the positions of the partswhen the tufts of fiber are nipped between and depend from saidbookboards ready for traversing through the machine. When the tufts offiber have been dressed and it is desired to turn them, in order thatthe undressed portions thereof may be next opcratt d upon, or to removedrcssed tufts in order that undressed tufts may be inserted, thecarriage is run to the turn-table hereinafter described and turned overto bring the book-boards to the top. The catch lever 38 is then pressedto release the projection 38 from notch 39, and the hand levrr 36 movedover (see F ig. 17) until the pivot centers of the levers 33 and 33 havebeen reversed, as shown in Fig. 8, this causing the end pieces 32 and 32to be opened out and the book-boards to be'released. To lock thecarriage, the hand lever is moved to rotate the side platts in thedirection of the arrow 1), Fig. 8, causing the end pieces 32 and 32 tobe moved, respectively, as indicated by the arrows c and 1 and the bookboards 13 will then be firmly nipped between said end pieces. 'I hesprings 32 take up any undue pressure.

The combings or short fibers, chrysalides, dust and fortign mattersremoved from the fibers by the combs, are dealt with as follows: Betweenthe two comb-carrying chains 15 and 16 is locate d a revolving brush 42in conta t with the teeth of the combs on each chain. This brush, in itsrevolution in the direction of the arrow on Pig. 1, removes the (ombingsfrom the teeth of the combs on the chain 16 and transfers them to thetecth of the (cmbs on the chain 15 from which such combings, as also thecombings gathered by the combs on the chain 15 as the result of theiroperation on the fibers, are removed by another brush 43 and transferredby it to one of the two stiippcrs 44 or 44. 'lhe brushes 42 and 43 aredriven by means of a rope orclnin 45 passing around the pullty 46 on thedriving shaft 9 and around the pulleys 42 and 43 1( spcctivcly sccuredon the axes cf said brusln s. A pulley 47, around which said rope 45also passes, affords a means for adjusting the tension on the said rope.

The strippers 44 and 44- are arranged to art altcrnatcly, that is tosay, one strippcris in position to receive the combings frr 1n the brush43 while the other stripper is being cleaned or having the combingsremoved therefromv 'llre arrangtmcnt and constrmticn is shown clearly inI 9 and 10 wherein the stripper from the machine frame and provided withoperating handles 52 and 52. The opposite ends of the strippers aresupported by brackets 53 and 53 on thdr respective shafts, carryingbowls 54 and 54 which run on the curved supporting rails 55 and 55. Thestrippers are driven, when in operative position, by means of gears 56and 56 fast on their respective axes. 'lhese gears mesh with pinions 57and 57 carried by the bracket 58 and are constantly driven by the gear59 fast on the axis of the continuously revolving brush 43. Thestrippers are respectively locked in their operative positions by meansof the catches 60 and 60 which are pivotally mounted in slots in therails 55 and 55 and which on gage projections 61 and 61 on the brackets53 and 53 supporting the free ends of the strippers. (See Figs. 3, 9 and10). The catches 60 and 60, which are adapted to swing horizontally, arereleased from their engagement with the stripper supporting brackets,when it is desired to swing the strippers out of action, by mcans of thefoot levers 62 and 62 which, through the connections 63 and 63, operatethe slotted levers 64 and 64 in which the projections 65 and 65 on thecatches engage. Springs 66 and 66 respectively located on the Comiccting rods 63 and 63, normally maintain the catchrs 60 and 60 in properposition to engage the projections 61 and 61-on the strippers beingmoved into operative position. The strippers are provided rcsprctivelywith adjustable presser brushes 71 and 72 (see Fig. 1) by which thecombings are pressed on to the teeth of same. The strippers are clearedof their accumulated lap of combings by means of the pairs of cleaningor drawing-off rollers 67 and 67 carried by the brackets 68. Thesedrawing-off rollers are respcctivtly geared together and provided withhandles 69 and 69 by which they can be rotated.

Instead of transferring the combings from the combs on the chain 16 tothe combs on the chain 15 as described, a brush 42 may be arranged torevolve in contact with the combs on the chain 16 only, the said brushbeing stripped by a stripper 42 (see Fig. 18) located under the chain 16and mounted in any suitable manner so as to be capable of being swungout to one side of the machine to be cleaned. In such case the combs onthe chain 15 would be cleaned by'bru'sh43 and the first combing would betransferred to the stripper 44 without being mixed with the shortercombings coming from the combs on the chain 16.

In cleaning a stripper the lap of combings is slit or separatedlongitudinally of the stripper by a knife or other tool and one severedend passed between the drawing-off rollers which are then rotated andthe combings drawn off the stripper in the form of a lap.

The frames 70, by which the bearings for the draW ing-off rollers arerespectively carried, are provided as above described, are placed sideby side, the tufts of silk, after leaving the first machine, beingreversed so that the undressed portion of the tufts may be operated uponin the second machine, the feeding and delivery ends of the secondmachine being in alinement with the delivery and feeding endsrespectively of the first machine.

We will now describe the means we have devised for reversing or turningover the carriage containing the book boards in order to present thetufts on the underside of the carriage on entering the machines so as tobe operated upon by the combing surfaces, and on the upper side when thecarriages leave the machines to pre sent the tufts at the top of thecarriage to facilitate reversal of the tufts or for the removal of thesame and the substitution of fresh tufts, and for traversing same fromone machine to the other to maintain a constant cycle in the passage ofthe carriage through the two machines. The said means are illustrated atFigs. 11, 12 and 13, the two latter figures showing exclusively themeans for overturning the carriages at the feeding end and at thedelivery end respectively of the machine. There are similar means oneach machine, but it is only necessary to describe the means applied tothe first machine.

Fig. 11 is a skeleton plan view of the two machines showing thedirection of progression of the carriages therethrough. the turn tables,and transverse tracks over which the carriages are run from one machineto the other; the arrangements provided for enabling two, three or morecarriages to be dealt with to reverse the tufts or introduce fresh tuftsat the respective ends of the machines, as will hereinafter appear.Taking the machine lettered A in Fig. 11 to be thefirst machine, and thecourse of the carriages containing the book boards consequently asindicated by the arrows, the workman in first commencing operationpushes a carriage 1 forward along the rails 73 from the turn table 74,the said rails being at a lower level (see Fig. 13) than the rails 4'over which the wheels of the carriages travel through the machine. Thecarriage passes to the machine the reverse side up to that which it mustoccupy in passing through the machine, and as it is pressed forwardto-the turn-over apparatus the rack 1 thereon engages the pinion 75which is constantly driven through the train of gears 75 and chain 75from chain wheel 76 on shaft 76, the latter being driven by gears 77from the longitudinal shaft 78. The shaft 78 receives motion throughpinions 78 from a cross shaft 79 (see Fig. 11) which is driven by one ofthe gears 7 on the machine. As soon as the rack l is engaged by pinion75 the carriage is moved automatically into the turn-over apparatus, thewheels of the carriage riding over side arms 80 secured to the turn-overtable 81 and engaging at their upper surfaces with said table and thusbeing held or confined between the arms and the table. Just before theend of the forward movement of the carriage into the turn-over apparatus(see Fig. 12) the roller 82 on the carriage abuts against one arm of atwo-armed lever 83 pivoted at 88 to the frame of the machine and rockssaid lever, a link 84 pivotally secured to the other arm of said leverand to an angle lever 85 actuating said angle lever which, through thelink or connecting rod 86, gives partial rotation to a cam 87 loose onan upright shaft 88 the cam acting against a bowl or roll 89 on a pawl89, mounted on a lever 89 and moving said pawl out of engagement with aratchet wheel 90 fast on the shaft 88. The withdrawal of the pawl 89from the teeth of the ratchet wheel releases the shaft 88 which isimmediately turned through part of a revolution by the gravityaction ofa weight 91 suspended from the end of a chain passing over a pulley 91and connected to an arm 92 fast on the said shaft 88.

On the upper end of shaft 88 is secured a fork 93 engaging at its freeend an annular recess in the boss of a gear wheel 94rotatively securedon shaft 76 but free to slide endwise thereon, and when the shaft 88 isoscillated as described, the fork slides the gear 94 along the shaft 76and into gear with a spur wheel 95 fixed on a disk or face Wheel 96mounted on a stud or shaft 96 supported in bearings in the side framingof the machine, whereby rotary motion is imparted to the disk 96.

The turn-over table 81 is mounted to turn upon a shaft 81 on which issecured a disk 97 shaped on two sides to register with the periphery ofthe disk 96 and normally lock the turn-over apparatus after each actuation. The disk 96 has two recesses 96 in its periphery and isprovided with gear segments 96 opposite said recesses. As the disk 96rotates, one of these gear segments 96 is brought into mesh with a gearwheel 98 fast on the shaft 81 and rotates the same, the longer radii ofthe disk 97 entering the recess 96 presented by the disk 96 and turningfreely therein to the extent of half a revolution which is the movementgiven to the shaft 81, such half circular movement turning over thetable 81 to bring the carriage 1 from the under to the upper sidethereof and thereby pre sent it in line with the rails 4 extendingthrough the dressing machine and with the tufts depending from the bookboards in readiness for being dealt with by the traveling combs.

The pawl 89 is carried by a lever 89 loosely mounted on shaft 88 andhaving connected to one arm thereof a weight 99 and provided at theextremity of its other arm with a bowl or roll which normally is inengagement with one of two cam surfaces 100 on the disk 96. As the disk96 rotates, the bowl on lever 89 rides clear of the cam surface 100 andthe lever 89 is thereupon caused by the weight 99 to move upon itscenter and bring the pawl 89 into re-engagement with the ratchet wheel90. Before the completion of the revolving movement of the disk 96 thebowl on lever 89 is engaged by the other cam surface 100 and the levermoved about its pivot in the opposite direction whereby the pawl 89 ismoved forward and turns the ratchet wheel to the extent of one or moreteeth and partly rotates the shaft 88 whereby the fork 93 moves the gear94 out of driving contact with the gear 95 and places the disk 96 out ofoperation until another carriage is run into the turn-over apparatuswhen the same cycle of movements as above described is repeated. Thecarriage which has thus been overturned and placed in the upper positionis pushed against the first worm on the shaft 3 by means of a curved arm10].. The said arm supports at its free end a small roller 101 mountedon a plate having an elastic or spring connection with the arm 101 inorder that there may be a certain amount of elasticity in the movementof the arm to insure the proper engagement of the rack 1 011 thecarriage with the worm 2. The arm 101 is pivoted on a stud carried bythe frame and is provided with a gear segment 101 (see Fig, 11) whichmeshes with a gear segment 102 fast on an upright shaft 102 on which isalso secured a lever 103 to one arm of which isconncctcd a chain passingover a suitable pulley carried -by the frame and having on its outer enda weight 104, while the other arm is provided with a bowl or rollengaging normally with one of two cam surfaces 105 on the back of thedisk 96. The weight rocks the shaft 102 when the cam surface 105 passesclear of the lever 103, such movement of shaft 102 drawing back the arm101, while on the lever engaging the other cam 105 when brought intoproper position by the rotation of disk 90, the shaft 102 is rocked inthe contrary direction and forces the arm 10lforward, the roller 101engaging the carriage just brought to the upper position and forcing itforward to bring the rack 1 into mesh with the nearest worm 2. Themoment this takes place the carriage is carried forward through themachine as previously described. On the carriage arriving at thedelivery end of the machine it enters the yoke formed by the arms 80 andthe turn-over table 81. as shown at Fig. 13, the pulley or bowl 82engaging the lever 83 and by similar connections and gears to thosedescribed with reference to Fig. 12 and indicated by correspondingreference numerals, brings into motion the apparatus for overturning thetable 81 and bringing the carriage to its lower level with the tufts ofsilk on the upper side so as to be ready for removal and reversal. Thecycle of operations is repeated on each carriage entering and leaviiigthe machine, the carriages following one behind the other with onlyslight intervals in between,

In Fig. 13 the pinion 75 is rotated by a pinion driven by a pawl andratchet wheel from the gears 75 such ratchet wheel permitting theattendant, if he so desires,

to draw out the carriage at a greater speed than that given by the trainof gears. In each turn-over apparatus shown in Figs. 12 and 13, thepinions 85 are carried by weighted levers 107 to allow of slight bodilymovement of said pinions in the event of the teeth of the racks on thecarriages not registering accurately in first moving into gear withsame.

At each end of the two machines there are turn-tables as shown at Fig.11, in order that the carriage may be turned and transferred from thedelivery end of one Inachine to the feeding end of the other machine andpresented the right way about to the feeding ends of the machines. Rails108 extend between each turn-table over which the carriages are movedtransversely from one machine to the other. Beyond the turn-tables shortrails 109 extend to carry the carriages to small bogies or platforms 110provided with rails 109 parallel to the rails 109. There are two pairsof such rails upon each bogie or platform and either pair can be broughtin alinemeut with the rails 109 by actuating the hand lever 111, eachbogie being coupled to its hand lever by an arm 112 and link 112. Thesebogies form reserve places for receiving the carriages as they come outof the respective machines, enabling a staff of workmen at each end tochange thetufts of silk, reversing said tufts between the delivery endsof machine A and feeding end of machine 13, and removing the dressedtufts and substituting fresh tufts between the delivery end of machine Band the feeding end of machine A. These bogies, arranged as shown,shorten the total length of the machines and enable workmen to beconstantly engaged in reversing or changing the tufts of silk so thatthe carriages may be kept constantly passing through the machineswithout loss of time and without having to handle manually any of thecarriages.

We can dispense with the turnover tables shown and described and use thespaces occupied thereby as reserve spaces to receive the carriagesbefore entering and after leaving the machine, the means for drawing thecarriages into the machine from the space at the front and dischargingthem from the machine, to the space at the rear, being as beforedescribed. In this case bogies may discharge and pick up the carriagesat any point or any number of reserve spaces between the delivery end ofone machine and the feeding end of the other machine may be provided.The bogies would run over rails laid on the floor and the level of thecarriages would not be altered at any part of their progression from onemachine to another.

Having thus fully described our said invention what we claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a machine of the characterdescribed, the combination with a longitudinally movable carriageprovided with means for holding tufts of fibers, and a combing devicemovable in a rectilinear path which converges slightly toward the pathof movement of said carriage.

In a machine of the character described, the combination with alongitudinally movable carriage provided with means for holding tufts offibers, of a combing device movable in a rectilinear path whichconverges toward the path of movement of said carriage, said combingdevice leaving a combing surface inclined toward the path of movementthereof.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination with acarriage provided with means for holding tufts oi fibers, means fortraversing said carriage through the machine with the fibers dependingtherefrom, and means for reversing said carriage at the end of itsmovement through the machine, of two endless chains, located be neaththe path of said carriage, combs carried by said chains and adapted toengage said fibers, mechanism for moving said two series of chains inopposite directions, means comprising rotary brushes for removing thecombings collected by the combs, movable strippers to receive thecombings from said brushes, said strippers being adapted to be swung outto one side of and clear of the machine for cleaning, and means forremoving the combings from the strippers when inoperative;

f. In a machine of the character described, the combina tion with acarriage provided with means for holding tufts of fibers, and means fortraversing said carriage through the machine, of means for reversingsaid carriage at the end of its movement through the machine.

5. In a machine of the character described, the combination with alongitudinally movable carriage provided with means for holding tufts offibers, of mechanism for reversing said carriage comprising a turnovertable and means for automatically actuating said table upon theinsertion of a carriage thereinto.

(i. In a machine of the character described, the combination withcombing mechanism, and a longitudinally movable carriage provided withmeans for holding tufts of fibers, of mechanism for reversing saidcarriage comprising a turn-over table, means for automatically actuatingsaid table upon the insertion of a carriage thereinto, and means forpresenting a carriage from said turnover table to said combingmechanism.

7. In a machine of the character described, the combination with acarriage provided with means for holding tufts of fibers and means fortraversing said carriage through the machine, of mechanism for reversingsaid carriage at the end of its movement through the machine, saidmechanism comprising a turn-over table constructed and arranged toreceive said carri ge from said traversing means, means forautomatically actuating said table upon the insertion of a carriage,thereinto, and means for ejecting said carriage from said table.

8. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a combbar, of a bar having an inclined face upon which said comb bar ismounted, a chair for supporting said last-named bar, guides within whichsaid chair is movable longitudinally of the machine, and a yieldingconnection between said chair and said last-named bar.

9. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a combbar and means for moving the same lon gitudinally through the machine,of a yielding connection between said bar and said means.

10. In a machine of the character described, the cornbi nation with apair of endless chains, comb bars carried by said chains, yieldingconnections between said bars and said chains, and means for actuatingsaid chains.

11. In a fiber-combing machine, a carriage for carrying the tufts offibers to be combed through the machine, comprising a plurality of bookboards between which the fibers are nipped, movable end pieces betweenwhich said book boards are clamped, guides upon which said end piecesare adapted to slide, links connected to said end pieces, side platesupon which said links are eccentrically pivoted. a rod connecting saidside plates, a hand lever operatively connected to said rod, a springlatch for holding said hand lever in a predetermined position, a camformed on said hand lever, and a spring plunger engaging said camsurface to control the movement of the hand lever.

12. In a fiber combing machine, a carriage for carrying the tufts offibers to be combed through the machine, comprising a plurality of bookboards between which said fibers are nipped. movable end pieces betweenwhich said book boards are clamped, guides upon which said end piecesare adapted to slide, links yieldingly connected to said end pieces, apivoted plate upon which said links are eccentrically pivoted, and ahand lever operatively connected to said plate.

13. In a machine of the character described, the combi nation with acarriage provided with means for holding tufts of libel-s, and means fortraversing said carriage through the machine, of devices for turningsaid carriage over at the feeding and delivery ends of the machine, andmeans for holding a plurality of such carriages in reserve beyond saidturningover devices.

l-l. As an adjunct to a fiber combing machine employing a carriage forthe material to be combed, means for supporting in reserve a pluralityof such carriages, and means whereby said supporting means may be movedto present any one of said plurality of carriages to the machine.

15. As an adjunct to a fiber combing machine, employing a carriage forthe material to be combed, means for supporting in reserve a pluralityof such carriages comprising the platform 110 provided with a pluralityof tracks 109, a track 112 extending transversely of the machine uponwhich said platform is movable, and means for moving said platform 110along said track 112 to present any pre determined pair of tracks 109 tosaid machine.

16. In combination, a pair of fiber dressing machines employingcarriages for the material to be dressed, means at either end of eithermachine for turning over said can riagcs, a turn table at either end ofeither machine be yond said turningover means, and tracks connecting thecorresponding turn tables of said machines.

17. In a machine of the character des ribed, the combination with meansfor combing fibers, ot' a revolving brush for collecting combings fromsaid combing means, a plurality of movable strippers each adapted whenin operative position to receive the combings from said brush, verticalshafts upon which said strippers are pivoted, curved guide rails onwhich the free endsot said strippers are supported, devices for movingsaid strippers from operative to inoperative position, and vice versa,devices for locking said strippers in operative position, and means forcleaning or drawing off the combings from said strippers when ininoperative position.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in the presence of twowitnesses.

ARTHUR MELLOR. JEAN VILLY.

Witnesses as to Arthur Mellor:

ERNALD Srnrsoy Mosnnnr,

)IALCULAI Sirn'rnunsr. Witnesses as to Jean "lily:

IInxm Donn,

HENRY DANZIG.

